Fay Could Bring Rainfall to Drought Stricken Southeast

Tropical storm likely to stall for several days over South Atlantic states.

Aug 19, 2008

As the tropical storm Fay moves into the South Atlantic states USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says it could remain there for several days.

"There is going to be a high pressure system building over the Northeastern United States," Rippey says. "That system will act as a suppressant of the motion of Fay."

That means the storm will reach a holding pattern over states such as Georgia, and the Carolinas.

"That could result in rainfall totals in excess of 10 inches," Rippey says. "To a point, this rain will be beneficial because we've got a very serious drought going on in much of the Southeastern United States."

Rippey says the rain will help the condition of summer crops and pastureland as well as help the seeding of fall crops, but warns that too much rain could cause some problems.

"Sometimes the drought-baked soils are a little bit more prone to runoff," Rippey says. "So if you get torrential, tropical rains on a drought-baked landscape that can actually contribute to flash flooding."